Speed: How Leaders Accelerate Successful Execution - Hardcover

by John Zenger (Author), Joseph Folkman (Author)

Seize the competitive advantage by building speed into your leadership DNA

The rapid pace at which change occurs in business today is unprecedented. Speed has become a major source of competitive advantage. Leaders who act quickly and inspire others to do the same are the ones who ultimately win the day. But achieving increased levels of speed is not always easy.

Culled from the data of one million 360-degree feedback assessments, Speed provides valuable insights into the qualities that make a leader successful and productive. Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman reveal eight essential leadership behaviors shown to improve performance and ultimately drive organizational effectiveness.

The authors will help you assess the pace at which you work and determine how you stack up against others in their firm's database. You'll discover tactics for speeding up critical elements of your day and learn how you can use the eight companion behaviors--including innovation, develop courage, initiate action, and set stretch goals-- to help you increase your speed.

Back Jacket

"With the relentlessly increasing pace of change, speed and agility have become organizational survival skills. Speed is a terrific book with a wealth of practical advice on how to 'lead with speed' without diluting executional excellence."
--Michael A. Peel, Chief Human Resources Officer, Yale University

"Zenger and Folkman have done it again. In Speed, they acknowledge the benefit of leading at a faster pace--but they make it clear that fast is not the same as frantic. Speed must be accompanied by accuracy or all bets are off. Backed by extensive research, the book shows how the most successful leaders achieve an optimum balance of both fast pace and effective execution. A great read!"
--Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The New One Minute Manager(R) and Collaboration Begins with You

"Making decisions quickly is one thing, making the right decisions is another - only Speed shows you how to do both. Remarkable new tools from the acclaimed Zenger-Folkman team!"
--Marshall Goldsmith - Author of the #1 New York Times bestseller - Triggers.

"For an organization to succeed in today's world it needs to move quickly. However, organizations cannot be fast with leaders who move slowly. For those who aspire to increase their leadership speed, this book provides simple, powerful solutions."
--Frances R. Hesselbein, President & CEO, The Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute, and former CEO of Girl Scouts of America

"In today's radically shifting environment, speed differentiates. It is no longer enough for leaders to have a great plan, if they can't move fast; it's worthless. In such a context, leaders must notice trends early, respond swiftly and iterate quickly. This book demonstrates how the most effective leaders are those who can move fast and execute well."
--Michael J. Arena, Chief Talent and Development Officer, General Motors Corporation

"Wow. The authors found a competency that few have talked about, but that is crucial for today's leaders. Opening this book is like unwrapping a gift box--there is a real prize inside."
--Beverly Kaye, Founder, Career Systems International, and coauthor of Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay and Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want

"A fun, interesting read that leads with data. It dispels the common myth that speed and quality are mutually exclusive and shows it can be both. Indeed, the most effective leaders have figured this out!"
--Craig Helmen, SPHR, Assistant Vice President, Organization Effectiveness and Leadership Development, Allianz

"Speed is another terrific example of how Joe Folkman and Jack Zenger look at real world data in the leadership space, dissect core behaviors that make leaders more effective, and then provide practical ways to execute. It's not enough that they have provided decades of thought leadership, they are still in the thick of it...bringing simple yet substantive insight to help leaders be better in the modern workplace. Speed is a must for any leader who wants to raise the bar."
--Joe Garbus, Vice-President, Talent and Leadership, Celgene Corporation

"Wow, they did it again. Jack and Joe use their unique research based approach to demonstrate the clear link between leadership speed and the benefits to individuals, teams and organizations. It's clear to me that in our environment of a continuously increasing pace of change, having equally speedy leaders in our companies will be a critical success factor."
--Pablo Riera Táboas, CEO Grupo P&A, CDO Galifornia Foundation, Spain

Author Biography

John H. (Jack) Zenger is a speaker, consultant, executive coach, and CEO of Zenger Folkman, a firm providing leadership development programs to organizations worldwide. A recognized expert on leadership development, he has been inducted into the Human Resources Development Hall of Fame and was the recipient of ATD's Lifetime Achievement Award. Zenger is the co-author of How to Be Exceptional and the bestseller The Extraordinary Leader. He lives in Midway, Utah.

Joe Folkman is a respected authority on assessment and change, an acclaimed keynote
speaker, and cofounder and president of Zenger Folkman. One the nation's renowned
psychometricians, he has worked with some of the most prestigious and successful organizations, including AT& T, General Mills, Nortel, Fidelity, Thomson Reuters, the U.S. Navy, and Wells Fargo. He is the co-author of How to Be Exceptional and the bestseller The Extraordinary Leader. Folkman lives in Orem, Utah.